- As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment in the region is expected increase by 1.2% in the immediate future, which amounts to a loss of 1.7 million jobs (ILO, 2021).
UfM GRANT SCHEME:
Tackling the COVID-19 Employment crisis
in the Euro-Mediterranean Region
- The UfM Grant Scheme strive to mitigate the labour market challenges for 18,000 individuals, mostly youth and women, from 7 UfM Member States.
In the wake of the current COVID-19 crisis, the EuroMediterranean region has witnessed profound socioeconomic repercussions that threaten to undo a decade of economic development
The region´s labour market is witnessing alarming trends, especially for women and younger generations.
“The lack of capacity to generate sufficient and sustainable employment opportunities to meet the needs of a growing working-age population coincides with an unprecedented metamorphosis in the socio-economic model, provoked by both the global health crisis and technological disruptions”. – Nasser Kamel, UfM Secretary General
The UfM Co-Presidency Statement emanating from the Fifth Regional Forum 2020, stressed that “efforts must be focused on the crucial employment challenges, mainly for young people”.
On those grounds, the UfM Secretariat, with the financial support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), has launched in August 2020 a Grant Scheme, aiming to improve the employment situation for the most vulnerable population in the region.
Four projects were awarded the UfM Grant, benefitting 18,000 individuals in 7 UfM Member States, namely, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco and Tunisia. These projects are tackling the labour challenges in the fields of entrepreneurship, women empowerment, sustainable tourism, as well as education and research with an overall budget of 1.13 million euros.
Awarded projects
RISE – Resilience and Innovation through Strengthened Entrepreneurship
Location: Morocco and Tunisia
Beneficiaries:
- 30 existing social enterprises and MSMEs (with an estimated 120 employees).
- 40 Social Enterprise Support Organisations (SESOs) (with an estimated 200 technical staff)
- 100 young aspiring entrepreneurs
Results:
- National gendered needs assessments of local economy actors facing the COVID-19 crisis in Morocco and Tunisia
- 50 internships for young entrepreneurs in wellestablished national companies.
- Good practices of successful MSMEs and SEs overcoming the economic and health crisis collected and disseminated at national and international levels.
More information
FLOWER – Fostering Local Market Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment and Resilience
Location: Morocco and Tunisia
Beneficiaries:
- At least 300 members of women’s production groups
- At least 20 young coaches (10 in Tunisia and 10 in Morocco)
Results:
- Increased empowerment and socio-economic resilience of women working in rural areas in Tunisia and Morocco, with access to new market opportunities both nationally and online.
- Increased sustainability of women’s production groups in terms of governance, production processes and protection measures for workers
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SEARChED – Strengthening Employment and entrepreneurial Activities to Recover COVID-19 Epidemic Damages
Location: Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon
Beneficiaries:
- Local technical institutions and MSMEs in the agro-food sector (Tunisia and Jordan)
- Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), renewable energy/energy efficiency technology providers and MSMEs in the energy efficiency sector (Lebanon)
- 81 young people who are graduated or are enrolled in relevant postgraduate courses
- 40 young people and/or farmers from rural areas in Tunisia and Jordan who want to start or expand an entrepreneurial activity
- Family members of entrepreneurs, their employees or new young professionals
- Rural populations in Tunisia and Jordan
Results:
- Unemployed people are able create and manage new businesses in the agro-food sector: they are informed and on entrepreneur opportunities, supported in the development business plans, and trained in basic technical and management skills, agricultural production and techniques, business development, processing and marketing, water-efficient and energy-saving solutions and technologies related to the agricultural/agro-food sector.
- MSMEs in Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan in the agriculture and energy efficiency sectors are more efficient and effective in their markets.
More information
MAST – Mediterranean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism post COVID-19
Location: Greece, Italy, Malta, Tunisia, Morocco
Beneficiaries:
- Tourism entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Job seekers and employers of the tourism sector.
- Public authorities, local governments, NGOs, training institutions and other entities for the promotion of sustainable tourism.
Results:
- New, more sustainable tourism ideas brought to the market, including rural tourism projects, wellbeing programmes for different target groups, cultural and heritage tourism offers, and biodiversity experiences.
- Tourism entrepreneurs supported in renewing their own businesses, looking at new forms of hospitality, marketing and communication strategies based on quality, attention to local heritage, natural resources, local food production, and adoption of COVID-19 mitigation measures
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